Traction light comes on

[MikeO]

My traction control light will come on for no reason while driving. It goes off again when the car is shut off. Then it will come on again after a few minutes.
Should I check my sensors at the back wheels, or might there be somewhere else to check?
Car is a 1996 328i with 115K miles.
Thanks, Mike.

 

[epj3]

It sounds like either the sensors are bad, or the actuator (motor) that shuts the taction control's butterfly (yes, your intake has two throttle butterflies) is bad. My friends E36 actually had a bad gear (its plastic) on the traction control actuator.

 

[JGM3E3632]

there is a cable on the throttle body. The cable that connects on the top of the throttle body. NOT the throttle cable. You can adjust this cable so that there is slack in it. If your car has ASC than this adjustment will work. On my 1997 M3 Sedan I have ASC. A few months back the light come on while I was driving. (Not aggressive driving just criusing down the road) I was thinking that it may be the ASC relay. But I looked through my BENTLEY repair manual and it told me about this adjust to the cable. I adjusted the cable to where it was tought. Cars with ASC have a butterfly valve before the throttle body valve, and when the computer detects while spin the butterfly valve before the throttle body moves to limit the amount of air that enters the engine. So it controls the amount of power to the wheels.

 

[Kirby]

Just to verify the basics - all four tires are the same size, general wear is equal, inflation equal, etc.? Any extremes on one wheel can cause this to happen.

 

[MikeO]

All four tires have equal wear and pressure. All four wheels are the same.
Thanks for the reply.
Mike..

 

[chief]

I had to disconnect the cable for the ASC when i installed the SuperCharger. Reason being that any slippage will reduce the engine speed thus slow you down. My ASC light remains lit at all times. Don't want it, don't need it.
Boils down to: do you want it working or not? Personnally i like the wheel spin (although limited).

 

[MikeO]

Hi Jared,
I also adjusted the cable till is was taught and the light hasen't come on since.
Many thanks for the info.
Mike.

 

[JGM3E3632]

your welcome I'm glad it helped and fixed the problem.